Scottish Executive

Archaeology

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what submissions it received in regard to the provisions of the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage and what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government in regard to implementation of the Convention.

Dr Elaine Murray: We have received submissions from two MSPs and one MP, the Institute of Field Archaeologists, the Council for Scottish Archaeology and from one local museum trust about the provisions of the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage, generally known as the Valletta Convention. My staff in Historic Scotland have been involved in discussions with colleagues in England, Wales and Northern Ireland about the implementation of the Convention.

Cancer

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why there has been a decline in the numbers of women being recalled early for breast screening from 1993 to 2001 according to Information and Statistics Division KC62 return.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The breast screening early recall rate has reduced from 1.2% in 1993 to 0.2% in 2001. This has been achieved by investments in improved technology and in the expertise of screening staff. Image Guided Biopsy, for example, has allowed staff to make definitive diagnosis in a larger number of cases, reducing the number of women required to be placed on early recall. Scotland’s recall rate is substantially better than the target rate of less than 1%.

Drug Education

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive at what ages drug awareness classes are being held for schoolchildren.

Cathy Jamieson: The responsibility for development and management of the curriculum, including timing of delivery, rests with education authorities. To assist with this, 5-14 National Guidelines are available which offer a framework setting out attainment targets throughout primary and secondary school.

  The framework for drug education is contained within the Health Education 5-14 National Guidelines. The suggested attainment targets, appropriate to drug awareness, begin in early primary school with simple ways of keeping safe, e.g. safe use of medicines, and build through primary and secondary school to looking at harmful substances, their effects on the body and strategies to help decision making on healthy choices surrounding substance misuse. At all points education authorities and schools consider the age, understanding and maturity of the pupils.

Education

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many attendance orders under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 were served in each of the past three years, broken down by education authority.

Cathy Jamieson: This is a matter for education authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

Employment

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address any skills shortage currently facing Glasgow’s construction industry.

Iain Gray: Research, carried out by the Training and Employment Research Unit at Glasgow University, has identified an emerging skills gap in construction.

  The Scottish Welfare to Work Task Force has established a group to develop a New Deal construction sector pathway in Scotland. Working with the industry this group is focusing on disadvantaged groups and long-term unemployed, and is working to develop short, modular courses which could lead to a full Modern Apprenticeship. The Executive will also work through Future Skills Scotland and Careers Scotland to promote employment and training opportunities in construction.

  The Glasgow Construction Forum was launched on 1 May by Glasgow City Council. The forum will be working with Scottish construction firms primarily on skills issues arising from the housing stock transfer.

  The Housing and Employment Working Group has examined key issues affecting the industry by involving individuals from the construction sector, employment initiatives, the voluntary sector, public sector and trade unions.

Employment

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to establishing "Job-Ready Centres" for secondary school pupils and further education students providing career and vocational education programmes tailored to local workforce needs and supplementing the existing curriculum.

Iain Gray: Vocational education programmes are already available through further education colleges and Local Enterprise Companies. Additionally, the recently established Careers Scotland provides a one-stop shop for careers advice and guidance to all ages. Careers Scotland is aligned within the two Enterprise Networks alongside Future Skills Scotland and is therefore well placed to understand employment issues at both national and local level. However, our approach to this area will be considered again in the context of the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee’s forthcoming report on lifelong learning.

Energy

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to submit a response to Her Majesty’s Government’s consultation paper, Energy Policy – Key Issues for Consultation , in respect of the impact of future energy policy on enterprise.

Lewis Macdonald: We have no plans to submit a formal response to this paper. The Executive is, however, fully engaged with the inter-departmental process which is taking forward the UK Energy Review.

Enterprise

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support it has provided in total to date for the funding of the Motorola Task Force; whether it will give details of any further funding proposed, and over what timescale any such funding will be provided.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been received by the Motorola Task Force in each year that the task force has been operating, in total and broken down by (a) start-up costs, (b) task force employee wages, (c) expenses, (d) advertising costs and (e) costs of providing subsidised employment or training.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many persons have been given positions through subsidised employment or training schemes under the Motorola Task Force in each year that the task force has been operating.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Motorola Task Force took into account any impact on benefit entitlement for the users of the task force when formulating action plans, strategies, programmes and advice.

Iain Gray: On 25 April 2001, Wendy Alexander announced in the Parliament that the Scottish Executive was setting aside up to £10 million to help fund the Motorola Task Force’s action plan. On 20 December 2001, Wendy Alexander further announced that the Scottish Executive would provide £6 million (from the £10 million which had been set aside) to the West Lothian Strategic Action Plan, a three-year programme for the economic development of the area.

  Expenditure reports from Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothians (SEEL) for the financial year 2001-02 show costs of £3.3 million. SEEL’s projected costs for the financial year 2002-03 are £150,000. The total costs from both the financial years amount to £3.45 million.

  For 2001-02: Business Start-up training costs were £119,800; employee wages were £728,174; expenses were just under £5,000; advertising costs were £27,455, and training costs just over £2 million.

  There has been no subsidised employment. The task force has directly assisted 1,646 people through a variety of training initiatives in the period up to 28 February 2002. All training programmes and strategies formulated as part of the Motorola Action Plan gave consideration to individuals’ benefit entitlement.

Enterprise

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to establish in full a scheme in Scotland similar to the Phoenix Fund which operates in England to encourage entrepreneurship in disadvantaged areas.

Iain Gray: We have no plans to do so. The Enterprise Networks already target entrepreneurship in disadvantaged areas through a range of measures - including the holding of Personal Enterprise Shows in such areas. We have also introduced recently a specific Scottish Enterprise Network annual target for the number of business start-up assists from residents in disadvantaged areas.

Enterprise

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will define and give examples of what is meant by "developments compatible with the petro-chemical industry" in respect of the current proposed plans for the redevelopment of Bo’ness.

Hugh Henry: Any decisions on whether or not new development in Bo’ness is compatible with the petro-chemical industry should be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the advice of the Health and Safety Executive regarding potential hazards.

European Union

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has had to the response by Her Majesty’s Government to the EU Commission’s proposed directive on the recognition of professional qualifications (COM(2002) 119 final).

Iain Gray: The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) had the lead role in contributing to the proposed directive from a UK perspective. In fulfilling this role the DfES consulted the devolved administrations.

Finance

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25456 by Mr Andy Kerr on 10 May 2002 what the total amount is, in accordance with the Barnett formula, of the allocations from the Capital Modernisation Fund for new or refurbished community sports facilities and how these funds will be allocated.

Mr Andy Kerr: The consequentials for Scotland calculated in accordance with the Barnett formula from the round four Capital Modernisation Fund allocation for community amateur sports clubs is £1.95 million. We were already aware that we would receive consequentials from the Capital Modernisation Fund generally and this had already been taken into account in planning our expenditure.

Health

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made or instructions it has given, to whom and when regarding any shortage of chiropodists in the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency area.

Malcolm Chisholm: None. It is for NHS boards and trusts to assess the need for local services and to meet that need through the delivery of individual services by appropriately trained staff.

Health

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the incidence of macular degeneration, broken down by age and geographic location.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the number of cases of blindness by macular degeneration in adults over the age of 50 in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The information requested is not held centrally.

Justice

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22603 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 February 2002, how many adjournments of a criminal trial on the date of trial were granted on the motion of the procurator fiscal or advocate depute in each of the last four years.

Colin Boyd QC: This information is not available.

Justice

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has estimated the costs to it and local government of adjournments of a criminal trial on the date of the trial, including the costs associated with the abstraction from their duties of social workers, fire officers, NHS employees, police officers and civilians.

Mr Jim Wallace: We have not attempted to quantify the costs in this manner, as appropriate data is not centrally available. However, we are aware of the disruption and inconvenience caused by adjournments to criminal trials and are keen to see them reduced. We did in fact commission research into the causes of adjournments in sheriff court summary criminal cases in 1999 and the research report was published on 19 July 2001. A summary of the main findings of the research can be found on the Scottish Executive website and the full report on the Scottish Executive Central Research Unit website.

  The reviews being carried out by Lord Bonomy and Sheriff Principal McInnes, of the High Court and summary justice respectively, are focusing on how the criminal justice process might be made more efficient and effective. Both reviews will be making recommendations to reduce the frequency of unnecessary adjournments.

Justice

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17791 by Mr Jim Wallace on 21 September 2001, whether the elements of restorative justice which appear in various current initiatives include restorative cautioning and, if not, whether it is being considered as a future initiative.

Mr Jim Wallace: Cautioning is not used as an alternative to prosecution in Scotland. However, a number of mediation and reparation schemes are operating locally as part of the Executive funded national roll out of diversion from prosecution schemes.

  £2 million has been made available to expand mediation and reparation schemes for under 16s across Scotland as part of the Scottish Executive’s Action Plan on Youth Crime.

Mining

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-24906 and S1W-24907 by Iain Gray on 13 May 2002, whether the original agreement to act as guarantor was between Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Coal and not with the subsidiary company Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd.

Iain Gray: The guarantee referred to was given to the Royal Bank of Scotland by Scottish Enterprise in respect of bank borrowing by Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd. The guarantee documentation was agreed by Scottish Enterprise and the Royal Bank of Scotland. The agreement relating to the provision of a guarantee for Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd was between Scottish Enterprise, Mining (Scotland) Ltd, and Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd.

Mining

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when Scottish Enterprise entered into an agreement with Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd to provide a guarantee to underwrite bank borrowings and whether this agreement was approved by ministers.

Iain Gray: In June 1999, Scottish Enterprise provided a guarantee to underwrite £5.4 million of bank borrowing by Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd in order to allow the company to continue trading. The provision of the guarantee was approved by Scottish Office ministers. Subsequent adjustments in the amount of the guarantee were approved by Scottish Executive ministers.

Mining

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Coal, the parent company, were required to act as guarantor for Scottish Coal (Deep Mining) Ltd as part of the agreement which Scottish Enterprise entered into to underwrite bank borrowings.

Iain Gray: Mining (Scotland) Limited, the parent company of Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd, did contribute to the refinancing package agreed for Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd in April 1999, and, prior to that, had invested substantially in the development of the company's Longannet and Kincardine mining operations, but were not asked to act as guarantor for the additional bank borrowing identified as necessary to meet the company's cash flow requirements in April 1999.

Motor Vehicles

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to address any increase in the number of deliberate vehicle fires.

Dr Richard Simpson: A recent Joint Thematic Inspection carried out by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland and HM Fire Service Inspectorate for Scotland - Fire: Raising the Standard - recommends that forces, brigades and local authorities work together to address the issue of abandoned and stolen motor vehicles, which is the main cause of deliberate vehicle fires. The Scottish Executive intends to seek the views of the Scottish Committee of the Fire Brigades Advisory Council on the establishment of a working group to prepare guidance on this subject.

  A copy of the thematic report is available on the Scottish Executive website at:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/justice/frts-00.asp.

Motor Vehicles

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost each local authority to remove abandoned vehicles in the current year and how much it cost in each of the last three years.

Ross Finnie: The information requested is not held centrally.

National Health Service

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to expand the role of private medicine within the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is supporting NHSScotland through investment and reform to ensure that the service is able to deliver services of the quality the public expects. NHSScotland is making use of spare capacity in private hospitals in order to reduce waiting. The National Waiting Times Unit is currently working with NHSScotland to ensure better and more efficient use of existing capacity in NHSScotland and the limited spare capacity in the private sector.

National Parks

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the establishment of the Cairngorms National Park will be taken forward following the earlier consultation by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

Allan Wilson: The report by SNH, as the reporting body under section 3 of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, was submitted to Scottish ministers on 21 August, 2001. We have considered this report very carefully.

  We are satisfied that the Cairngorms area meets the criteria for designation as a National Park. We are, therefore, publishing today a draft Designation Order for consultation, as required under section 6 of the National Parks (Scotland) Act. This consultation document will be widely distributed and copies have been made available to the Parliament's Reference Centre. The Executive's consultation closes on 22 August 2002, after which the draft Order will be amended as required in light of comments received, before being submitted to the Scottish Parliament for approval in the autumn.

Nursing

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the number and geographical location of those nurses who have (a) undertaken, (b) completed and (c) re-registered on completion of, a return to practice course, in each year since 1999, broken down by training provider.

Malcolm Chisholm: Prior to 2000, Return to Practice Courses were not mandatory and comprehensive details of those undertaking the courses was not recorded by the former National Board for Scotland. Information about those re-registering following completion is also not held centrally. The information available is shown in the table.

  


Institution 
  

Completions 
  



1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  



LUHNT 
  

9 
  

22 
  



University of Stirling 
  

7 
  

10 
  



Napier University 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Royal College of Nursing 
  

13 
  

26 
  



Total 
  

29 
  

58 
  



  


Institution 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02* 
  



Indexed 
  

Completed 
  

Indexed 
  

Completed 
  



Bell College 
  

8 
  

8 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Glasgow Caledonian University 
  

8 
  

0 
  

26 
  

26 
  



Napier University 
  

19 
  

12 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Scot Nursing 
  

24 
  

18 
  

22 
  

19 
  



LUHNT 
  

25 
  

25 
  

25 
  

24 
  



Royal College of Nursing 
  

18 
  

23 
  

17 
  

40 
  



University of Dundee 
  

11 
  

4 
  

10 
  

25 
  



University of Paisley 
  

10 
  

18 
  

19 
  

18 
  



University of Stirling 
  

16 
  

8 
  

11 
  

19 
  



Total 
  

139 
  

116 
  

131 
  

172 
  



  Source: NHS Education for Scotland.

  Note:

  *These numbers for 2001-02 have been counted manually and may not correspond exactly with statistics published later this year.

  The number indexed and numbers completed each year do not form a cohort.

Older People

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Physical Activity Taskforce has examined the health and physical activity of older women.

Mr Frank MacAveety: The Physical Activity Task Force has produced a draft strategy that will be issued for consultation in June 2002. Included within the report are recommendations dealing specifically with the physical activity needs of older adults.

  NHS Board Health Promotion Departments and local authorities are also involved at local level in promoting the specific physical activity needs of older adults.

Ombudsmen

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been received by (a) the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland and (b) the Scottish Parliamentary Commissioner and Health Service Ombudsman, broken down by (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority area, in each of the last three years.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports have been finalised by (a) the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland and (b) the Scottish Parliamentary Commissioner and Health Service Ombudsman, broken down by (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority area, in each of the last three years.

Peter Peacock: Information about the number of complaints that are received, or how many reports have been finalised, by (a) the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland, (b) the Scottish Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and (c) the Health Service Commissioner for Scotland, is not held centrally.

  Details of complaints made during the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are contained in each office-holder’s relevant annual reports, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Equivalent details for the year 2001-02 would be held by each of the relevant offices.

Parliamentary Questions

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S1W-24585, lodged on 27 March 2002.

Ms Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24436 on 16 May 2002.

Parliamentary Questions

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S1W-24436, lodged on 25 March 2002.

Ms Margaret Curran: Question S1W-24436 was answered on 16 May 2002.

Parliamentary Questions

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S1W-24584, lodged on 27 March 2002.

Ms Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24436 on 16 May 2002.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the prisoner involved in the assault of a prison warder at HM Prison Kilmarnock, reported on 15 May 2002, has since been moved to another prison establishment.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The incident has been referred to the police for investigation. We do not comment on the location of any prisoner, not least when he or she may be the subject of a police investigation.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incident at HM Prison Kilmarnock, reported on 15 May 2002, when a prison warder was stabbed in the neck by a prisoner was classed under the key performance indicators as a serious assault and, if not, what it was classified as.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  This incident was classed as a serious assault.

Public Transport

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities contribute to the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority and how much each local authority contributed in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Lewis Macdonald: The 12 local authorities that contribute to the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority, and the sums contributed in 2001-02 are listed in the following table:

  


Constituent Local Authority 
  

Sum contributed
2001-02 (£)* 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

353,216 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

1,476,863 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

1,500,863 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

1,210,562 
  



Glasgow 
  

8,290,611 
  



Inverclyde 
  

1,155,105 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

1,823,571 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

4,446,590 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

2,403,089 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

1,247,442 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

4,141,238 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

1,287,849 
  



Total 
  

29,337,000 
  



  Note:

  * Data supplied by SPT.

Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 extends to Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: Yes.

Roads

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24918 by Lewis Macdonald on 7 May 2002, whether Scottish ministers are "prescribing" when fulfilling any statutory obligation to "specify" a maximum toll given that "to prescribe" can be interpreted as meaning "to specify".

Lewis Macdonald: Article 4 of The Invergarry - Kyle of Lochalsh Trunk Road (A87) Extension (Skye Bridge Crossing) Toll Order (Variation) Order 1999 states that the maximum toll for each description of traffic is the figure "specified" in the schedule to the order. Any further interpretation of the word "specified" is a matter for the Scottish courts.

Roads

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many miles of (a) motorway, (b) trunk road and (c) non-trunk road dual carriageway there are in each local authority area.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is given in Tables 5.1 and 5.2 of Scottish Transport Statistics , a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 15770).

Roads

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to deliver the trunk road improvements identified in NESTRANS’ integrated transport strategy for north east Scotland, the Modern Transport System.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is taking action to progress two of the top priority trunk road projects contained within NESTRANS’ transport strategy, the Modern Transport System (MTS).

  1. A multi-modal STAG assessment of the Balmedie to Tipperty stretch of the A90 north of Aberdeen is to be undertaken. This will explore the impact of city and inter-urban park and ride sites in order to assess the case for the propsed scheme. The report is due before the end of 2002.

  2. In partnership with NESTRANS a feasibility study on the provision of stacking lanes on the A90 Scotstown Road to Ellon Road will be undertaken. As well as having safety benefits through assisting vehicles with right turns, the proposal will assist in mitigating the congestion that may arise from the closure of Grandholm Bridge in July.

  3. An invitation has been extended to NESTRANS officials to meet with Scottish Executive officials to discuss the partnership’s remaining MTS trunk road priorities for the A90 and A96 corridors. This meeting will take place in the summer.

Roads (Scotland) Act 1984

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the specific definition is of "order" describing a statutory instrument, as used in the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and, in particular, in sections 5 and 9.

Lewis Macdonald: There is no specific definition of the word "order" as applied in sections 5 and 9 of the act. Any interpretation of the term is a matter for the Scottish courts.

Skye Bridge

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what use it and the Crown Office have made of the opinion of 16 December 1999 given by Lord Sutherland in Smith and others when considering issues relating to the Skye Bridge crossing; whether this opinion has been reported and, if so, when and, if not, what the reasons were for this position.

Lewis Macdonald: Both the Scottish Executive and the Crown Office have made reference to the Opinion of Lord Sutherland and other relevant case law in responding to parliamentary questions and correspondence on the subject of the Skye Bridge, and in preparing for subsequent court proceedings. Reporting of individual cases is a matter for the editor of the Scots Law Times and other reporting agencies. However, I understand that a copy of the Opinion is available on the Scottish Courts website.

Teachers

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many existing temporary staff contracts for teachers in each education authority will be ended by August 2002 in order to make teaching places available for those entering their induction year.

Nicol Stephen: Deployment of staff is a matter for local authorities and information on the use of temporary contracts is not held centrally.

  It is clear from our general discussions with local authorities that a large number of temporary contracts have always come to an end, for a variety of reasons, at the end of the school session. It is also clear that many of these teachers secure work early in the new session as vacancies arise and supply cover needs emerge. We have no reason to expect any change to this pattern.

Teachers

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision to employ probationer teachers will affect the employment of current supply teachers.

Nicol Stephen: Deployment of staff is a matter for local authorities and information on the use of temporary contracts is not held centrally.

  It is clear from our general discussions with local authorities that a large number of temporary contracts have always come to an end, for a variety of reasons, at the end of the school session. It is also clear that many of these teachers secure work early in the new session as vacancies arise and supply cover needs emerge. We have no reason to expect any change to this pattern.

Teachers

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of supply teachers are women.

Nicol Stephen: The last information gathered from the Teacher Census in 1998 recorded that approximately 86% of supply teachers were women.

Transport

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the travel line providing integrated travel information will be operational.

Lewis Macdonald: The basic journey planning information service provided by Traveline Scotland became operational on 3 January 2001. It currently handles in the region of 5,000 calls per week and a series of improvements to the service are planned over the next 10 months to give more pertinent and accurate information to travellers.

Voluntary Sector

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25514 by Peter Peacock on 14 May 2002, what grant funding was given to the Association of Scottish Community Councils in 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive provided grant funding of £37,000 in 1997-98 and £29,000 in 1998-99 to the Association of Scottish Community Councils.

Voluntary Sector

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it demonstrates support for volunteering and community action in the development of new policies.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Compact commits the Scottish Executive to ensuring that, in the process of policy-making, the impact of changes in policy and procedure on voluntary organisations, volunteering and community groups is considered and taken fully into account. This commitment is supported by a Good Practice Guide , published in June 2000. Implementation of the compact is monitored jointly with the voluntary sector on an annual basis.

Voluntary Sector

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Active Communities Media Strategy Group last met and what matters were discussed.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Media Strategy Action Group last met on 10 May 2002, when it discussed how to take forward publicity campaigns for the Active Communities Initiative, the themes and messages for these campaigns and how to extend the capacity for volunteering through publicity.

  In addition to the work of the group, the Scottish Executive is promoting the Active Communities Initiative through the publication of a newsletter. The next edition is due to be published in early June, to coincide with Volunteers Week 2002. The newsletter, which like Volunteers Week will focus on volunteering in the arts, will be sent to public, private and voluntary agencies across Scotland. Around 16,000 copies of the newsletter will be distributed.